Arkansas deputy found justified in fatal shooting

Deputy prosecuting attorney David Butler says Deputy Koby Schmittou was reasonable and justified in the Dec. 22 shooting death of 60-year-old Larry Pace.

Associated Press

A prosecutor says a Columbia County deputy sheriff was justified when he shot and killed a McNeil man.

The Banner-News reports (http://bit.ly/VCFinU ) that deputy prosecuting attorney David Butler says Deputy Koby Schmittou was reasonable and justified in the Dec. 22 shooting death of 60-year-old Larry Pace.

Butler says audio and video recordings of the shootings from a camera system on the deputy's patrol car clearly show Pace approaching Schmittou with a weapon and that the deputy clearly told Pace to stop before he opened fire.

Sheriff Mike Loe has said Schmittou was investigating reports of Pace threatening residents when he shot Pace as the man approached the deputy with a knife.